AUSTIN Ribbon Mic Testimonials & FAQ

Testimonials:

  • Crystal clear, very interesting and accurate too. - Bob Crowley (Crowley & Tripp Pro Audio)

  • WOW Fantastic GREAT PLANS. Will also help on restore of old ribbon mics. - Synthaxe (eBay buyer)

  • I bought your building plan and it is fantastically simple and seems to work very well. - Jack (Poland)

  • I started searching the net for a ribbon mic, and your page was the only one that was even remotely legit. - Jeff (Los Angeles)

  • I gotta say, Wow! Those measured better than a few pro mics I've seen! - Herb (Massachusetts)

  • You've made a great work there! - Gilles (France)

  • I was very excited to find your site. I think your ideas and tutorial are excellent. Tom (California)

  • I enjoyed reading it, it's easy to understand and nicely done. Congrats!! - Christian (Germany)

FAQ

  • Will you build a Microphone for me? (The #1 question!!)
    • Sorry, no.  I just don't have time to be a manufacturer.  I'm a DIY guy just like you, with a regular day job!
  • Do I need a special Microphone Preamp (Tube, FET, etc.) to use this mic?
    • No.  A normal microphone preamp should suffice for most applications.  I use the preamps built-into my recording device, or a $40 ART Tube MP! 
  • Will you sell me a kit of all the parts, so I can put one together?
    • Yes.  The cost is $450 plus shipping.
      (In other words, I'll do it, but you'd be better-off ordering your own parts for about $100)
      Please email RickshawRecords@yahoo.com for more information.
  • Will you repair my <Brand N> Ribbon Microphone?
    • Sorry, no.  However, if you read this tutorial, you can probably repair it yourself!
  • Do you have a microphone I could try out?
    • Probably not.  Usually they're already out, being lent to my friends or being used in my studio.  I only have a few. 
  • The guitar playing on the samples is awful.  Why didn't you hire a real guitarist?
    • Thank you for the compliments.  Apparently, I can design microphones better than I can play guitar!
      Send me one of your samples recorded with your Austin Ribbon Microphone, and I'll post it.
  • Do you have any plans or schematics for a cheap microphone preamp?
    • No, but there are some good ones out there...  One even fits inside a standard Microphone cable!
      The Austin mic uses a very thin ribbon and a step-up transformer which increases its output, so you don't need a ton of gain.  (This is not your typical, low-gain, mass-produced Chinese ribbon microphone.)
  • How much Phantom Power do your mic's require?
    • NONE!  These Ribbon Mic's are completely passive.  
      Phantom Power may fry the element of  these and most ribbon microphones.
      To be safe, do not use Phantom Power!
  • Do I have to use a Pop-Stopper (pop filter)
    • Any time you can feel a breeze from whatever you're recording (voice, bass, clapping, kick drum) then YES.
      A blast of wind can rip the fragile ribbon.


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FAQ